Improvement in seeding-machines



E MCKINNEY.

Corn-Planter.

Patented Aug. 9. 1 859 [71 v e 22 f0 2";

6f add/27% N-PETERS, PHOTU-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON u c.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFIcE,

E. MCKINNEY, OF MONTG-OMEPY, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNO. 25,025, dated August 9, 1859.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. MOKINNEY, of Mont goinery, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved SeedingMachine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, the line :0 :r, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detached face view of my spaeingwheel'.

Similar letters of reference in all the figures indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging the distributing-disks in combination with checkalways open, the dropping is changed into drilling.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully nmlerstand, make, and use my invention, I

will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The main frame A of the machine, which is constructed in a rectangular form in the usual manner, rests on two large driving-wheels, B B, which are rigidly attached to their axle O. This axle has its bearings in two lugs, a, which are secured to the under side of the horizontal side timbers of the frame, and a cog-wheel, D, is arranged on this axle in such a manner that a longitudinal sliding motion can be given to the same, independent from the rotary motion of the axle, which is communicatedto the wheel by means of a key, or in some other convenient manner. This wheel gears into a hori zontal spacing-wheel, E, which is attached to a vertical shaft, I), the lower bearing of which is in a cross-board, 0, which is attached to the inside frame, F, of the machine; and its upper bearing is in a bridge-piece, d, the position of which is strengthened by a brace, c. The inside frame, F, swings on pivots f in the longitudinal side timbers of the main frame A, and secured to its front part is the foot-board G, which serves to raise the back end of the swinging frame F, and this foot-board is adjustable by means of an are, 9, which is rigidly attached to the main frame, and which is provided with a number of holes, whereby the back end of the swinging frame can be adjusted, as will be hereinalter more fully ex: plained.

,Attached to the shaft I), close over the wheel E, is a band-wheel, H, and a handle, I, is fastened to the upper end of this shaft, which is situated close before the drivers seat J, which is supported by a cross-board, J, which is ri idly secured to the main frame The hopper-boxes K are secured to the back end of the swinging frame F, and the seed is distributed by disks L, each of which is pro vided with six seed-cells, l1, and which receive a rotary motion by means of a bevel-gearing, i 17, the wheels 1? being secured to the lower ends of the pivots on which the disks rotate, and the wheels i, of equal size with the wheels i, being attached to a horizontal shaft, k, whichbears a band-wheel, Z, and to which motion is communicated by means of a band, 111,- from the band-wheel H. A pin, a, is secured in the sides of the, band-wheel I, which strikes against the upper end of the handle of a hammer, 0, so that the same is caused to strike against a bell, M, once for every revolution of the shaft 7i: and of the disks L. Each of these disks is provided with'a projecting pin, 1), which serve to operate the levers N, which connects with the check valves q. These valves are arranged in slides 1', attached to the lower end of the reservoirs O, and fromthcse reservoirs the discharge-tubes I extend down to the toes Q, which are provided with two flange-covers, s 3, attached to each, set at such an angle that the front ends will gather the loose dirt together and leave itin a light ridge immediately behind the planting-toe; These toes are secured to a horizontal bar, 1%, which is supported by pins 9- in sockets S, so that it is free to rise when the toes meet with. some obstruction, being kept down by the action of springs. Suspended from the bar R are also the shares T, in such a manner that they can be adjusted sidewise so as to be nearer to or farther from the toes Q, according to the distance or width of the furrows.

In order to be able to keep the levers N in such a position that the valves q are closed, springs tare brought to bear 011 the upper parts of the same, and in case it is desired to have the valves open the levers are turned back by means of buttons u.

The wheel 1*] is arranged with three or more rows of cogs, 12, '0, and 1), all of an unequal pitch, so that the cog-wheel D can be brought to gear in either one of the rows; and it is obvious that the distributing apparatus is operated quicker when the cog-wheel B is in gear with the inner row of cogs, o, and slower when it is brought to gear into one of the:

outer rows, 11 or '0. The position of the wheel D is indicated by an index, 20, which is attached to the hub of the wheel, and which swings over marksy, y, and y on the side of the drivers seat.

The operation is as follows: After the driver has taken his seat he raises the back end of the swinging frame F, together with the distributing apparatus and with the shares, until he arrives on the field, when he lets down the frame F and adjusts it to the depth to which he intends to draw his furrow by means of the foot-board Gand are 9, and by driving across the field the planting is effected. If the diameter of the driving-wheel is equal to twelve feet, and if the wheel Dhas eighteen cogs, and the number of cogs in the rows 11, o, and if of the spring-wheel E is twenty-four, twentyone, and eighteen, and if the diameter of the Wand-wheel H is four times as large as the band-wheel Z, the hills are planted at forty eight inches apart when the wheel D is brought to gear into the outer row of cogs, o, of the spacing-wheel, and at forty-two inches when brought into gear with the second row, and at thirty-six inches when gearing into the last row of cogs, and as each of the seed-cells h, in the distributing-disks Ltakes one kernel, only, six kernels will be carried into each of .the reservoirs 0 during each revolution of vis planted. \Vhen the levers N are depressed by turning the buttons '20, so that the checkvalves q are always open, the dropping is changed into drilling, and the machine,with

all the seed-cells in the disks open, will deposit the kernels at distances at six, seven, or eight inches in the row, according to the position of the cog-wheel D, and with each alternate seedcell in the disks stopped up it will drill at twelve, fourteen, and sixteen inches in the row. The covered position of the cog-wheel D is pointed out by the index w, and if this index stands right opposite to one of the marks 3 3/, and 1 the cog-wheel is in gear with one of the rows of cogs v, 1/, or o of the spacingwheel. If, however, the index is between two of these marks, the cog-wheel is between two of the rows of cogs of the spacingwheel and the machine will be out of gear. In this position the machine can be operated by hand by turning the crank I, and the seed can now be dis tributed as fast or as slow as may be desirable. This crank also serves to insure the coincidence of the rows. To do this the driver must watch for the last stroke of the bell at the end of the row he is planting, when he marks the place with his foot, and he then throws the machine out of gear until he turns into the next row and stops with the toe Q opposite the hill last planted, when, by turning the crank until the bell strikes, another hill will be planted exactly opposite the last in the previous row, and now he lets the machine drop into gear and drives on, and each following hill will coincide exactly with the hills in the row previously planted.

The space between the rows is regulated by shifting the planting-toes Q laterally on the beam It, which is necessary, as some persons plant their corn four and others three feet apart between the rows, and in the case of broom-corn, chocolate-corn, or Chinese sugarcane, if desired, the machine will put in the seed still closer. When done planting, or if the driver desires to drive to a neighboring field, he can raise the back end of the swinging frame F at any instant by straightening his legs and bearing against the foot-board G, whereby the working parts of the machine are raised from the ground and the wheel E is thrown out of gearwith the cog-wheel D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The within-described arrangement and combination of the distributing-disks L, levers N, check-valves q, and buttons u, to operate together with the hammer o and with the bell M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

E. MCKINNEY.

Witnesses:

O. CONSTABLE, ALEX. CONSTABLE. 

